Chaos and Order
by The Glorious Cheshire Cat
Summary: Four people, two couples...The two from another dimension more special than anyone knows. One has a grander destiny than the other. Rated M for language in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Sight for the Sightless

Chaos and Order

By: The Glorious Cheshire Cat

Chapter 1: Sight for the Sightless and Love for the Supposedly Loveless

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the characters you don't recognize as in the games and/or movies. If you don't recognize them, it's because they aren't in any of it. Please feel free _**NOT**_ to sue. I am but a poor college student.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Her hand danced across the paper, leaving lines in its wake.

She reached for the red colored pencil, eyes shut.

Somehow, by some strange twist of fate, she knew exactly where the previous lines were and never needed to look.

_Not that I could if I wanted to_, she thought with a smirk. _Ah, the joys of being blind._

"What are you working on now, V?" her cousin questioned as she sat down next to her.

"Wait and see, dearest cousin. You know that I don't like to reveal my work until it is done." she replied.

"But Vanessa…"

"No buts, my dear Seph. It's how I work. Leave me in peace." Vanessa returned.

Her cousin stuck out her tongue.

Vanessa smirked. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. You might be forced to bite it."

Her cousin laughed.

"I'll never get your limits, dear V. You always surprise me."

Vanessa replaced the red pencil and took the gold one. "Good." She finished her picture a couple minutes before her mother yelled up the stairs that it was dinner time. She carefully tucked it in her sketchbook and followed her cousin downstairs.

Unknown to either girl, the sketch glowed mysteriously as they left their shared loft room.

*~*~*~*

Vanessa was sitting on her bed, a book written in Braille on her lap. She looked up from her sightless staring at the book when her cousin walked in. "It's in my satchel. Persephanie. Just don't smudge it."

Persephanie rolled her eyes and carefully pulled the sketchbook from Vanessa's satchel. She opened it.

Drawings and sketches in all sorts of mediums greeted her eyes as she softly turned the pages.

The newest pictures were towards the back.

She smiled at a few of them.

There were some of her and Sephiroth, a villain from a game and movie the two girls were obsessed with. In a few, they were embracing or fighting something that couldn't be seen. The ones that really caught Persephanie's attention were the ones where she and Sephiroth were just looking at each other lovingly.

There were others, the subject one Vincent Valentine, Vanessa's favorite character. Most of the newer pictures were of him.

"I see him in my dreams you know. I've never seen how they've made him look, but I just know what he really looks like." Vanessa commented as she 'read' some more.

Persephanie looked at her. "You draw him so much better than even their artists could." She turned the page to the newest drawing.

It was of Vincent and some woman whose face was blocked by his hand and hair. They were kissing and Vincent looked quite content for once.

"It's you, isn't it, V? You saw this in your dream last night."

"I did. I saw it happen. First I was seeing him before me, moving closer, felt his lips touch mine, and then I was seeing it from outside of my body."

Persephanie put the sketchbook back. "What else did you see?"

"Enough to know that we belong there. I have a weird feeling, Seph. We're going to end up there very, very soon." Vanessa closed her book. "It feels like tonight. We need to pack."

"What about your parents?" Persephanie questioned.

"You've heard them, Seph. They resent me for being blind. They do love me, don't get me wrong, but they leave me to my own devices more often than not. They favor my brother." Vanessa stood and went to her bookshelves with her satchel.

Persephanie joined her. "I'm a burden because I have no parents. We'll go if we can, V. And we'll end up where we belong."

The two girls fell silent as they each packed what they wanted.

Vanessa packed her favorite books and the books about Wicca and witchcraft, as well as all her art supplies, laptop, discs, some other things she couldn't go without, and MP3 player. She packed her whole meager wardrobe military style in a medium sized carpetbag.

Persephone packed her own meager wardrobe, her own laptop and music and game stuff, the stuff she couldn't go without, and her own favorite books. She grabbed all of their bathroom stuff and packed it all away in their bags.

There was a flash of lightning and a loud crash of thunder.

The whole house shook and the lights went out.

The wind picked up and more lightning split the sky.

Some hit the tree outside their bay window and caused a branch to crash through it just as more lightning hit the house, causing it to catch aflame.

"We have to get out of here!" Persephanie yelled.

"The window! We have to jump out the window!" Vanessa replied.

The two girls looked at each other.

"See you on the other side, Seph. I love you like a sister." Vanessa told her cousin.

Persephanie smiled. "Same to you, V."

They jumped.

*~*~*~*

Four silver haired men stood around the bed Persephanie laid on when she woke.

She knew who they were, just not where she was at. She looked up at Sephiroth and smiled. "Hello. Could you tell me where I'm at?"

Sephiroth swallowed sharply.

The beautiful woman before him wasn't afraid, and she was talking to him with a divine smile on her face.

He sat down on the bed next to her. "Mythril Mine." He was going to answer every question she had, regardless as to if he had the answer or not, if doing so meant she kept smiling at him.

She smiled wider and placed a hand on his arm after she sat up. "Thank you. Do you mind if I stay with you and your brothers? I have nowhere else to go and seem to have lost my cousin."

Sephiroth felt his heart skip a beat. "Of course."

Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz shared a look. They had a feeling that something was going to change, drastically.

*~*~*~*

Vincent hovered over the girl he'd found outside the Shinra Manor.

For some strange reason, he'd picked her up and taken her inside to one of the only good beds left, returning to get her two bags.

She was pale, almost as pale as he was, but with slight roses in her cheeks. She wore a pendant around her neck just like the one hanging from the handle of his Cerberus and a cloak just like his except hers was a deeper red and made of velvet, lined with a bright crimson silk on the inside.

The demons within him were oddly quiet, even Chaos was. They were just as curious about the girl as he was.

Chaos studied the girl through his host's eyes.

There was something about her that called to him as well as Vincent.

The girl moaned softly and moved, her brow furrowing and a frown appearing on her face.

Both Vincent and Chaos wanted to smooth it away, something that caught them both by surprise.

Chaos instantly knew. _Mate_, he stated simply.

_It can't be. We have no mate_, Vincent replied.

Chaos snorted. _Oh yes we do. Our opposite and equal. The human part of her is your mate, but she holds Order in her. She houses __**my**__ mate. We shall take care of her, of them both as is our duty._

Vincent went to protest.

_Do not fight me on this human. We _**will**_ protect both the human girl and my mate. The girl houses Order and if she dies, so does my mate. With them, we shall not be alone. Do you wish that? Would you wish that upon them? Without us, that is what they would be. You will come to understand it all soon. Just do not fight it as you would me._ Chaos interrupted.

The girl moaned softly once more and then slowly opened her eyes.

Vincent's breath caught.

Her eyes were just as crimson as his own, perhaps a shade darker.

Their gazes met and locked.

Chaos roared joyously when he saw the silver eyes of Order looking at him from deep within the girl.

"Who are you?" Vincent asked in a whisper.

"Vanessa. Vanessa Rawnie Vanderbuilt. But most people call me V." she answered just as softly.

Vincent nodded.

Vanessa was in awe. She looked around. She could actually see. She wasn't blind anymore. She didn't care that she now held demons of her own.

They whispered to her at the back of her mind. One, more powerful than the rest spoke up.

_I am Order, mate to Chaos. I have chosen you as my host so that my mate and his host will not be alone. I give you the gift of sight so that we may become one with our mates. I have watched over you long little mortal, and only you will do as my host._ Order told her.

_I am honored, oh great one. Am I to be immortal like the host of your mate?_ Vanessa returned.

Order laughed joyously, having found Vanessa to be exactly what her mate's host needed. _Of course. We don't want either of our mates to waste away to nothing now do we?_

_Absolutely not. It wouldn't do._ Vanessa settled herself into a sitting position with her back against the headboard. She looked at Vincent. "And you are?"

"Vincent Valentine."

She inclined her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you." She was pleased to note that he looked exactly as she'd pictured him in her mind's eye.

"Where do you live?" Vincent asked.

"Nowhere. I have no place to go and I have no one but a cousin whom is off on her own path. She and I will perhaps meet again one day."

"I and some others can help you search for her if you wish."

Vanessa shook her head. "Let Fate do its own work. If we are to meet again, we will meet when the time is right. Would it be possible for me to stay here? I'll work for my keep."

"Yes." Both Vincent and Chaos answered.

Vanessa bowed her head respectfully and in thanks before getting out of bed. "Perhaps you could give me a tour? I'd love to see this place."

Vincent felt his heart give a jolt. He wanted nothing more than to spend time with her, but was afraid he would end up hurting her.

She seemed to sense his thoughts and looked at him, her eyes taking on a silver color that was the exact opposite of Chaos's amber gold color.

That reassured him that she'd be more than safe with him; her own demons would protect her like his demons protected him.

He offered her his arm and was pleased when she took it. He led her off into the rest of the house, talking about everything in it.

The Fates smiled as they watched both Vincent and Sephiroth with those that were their soul mates.

"The sightless gain sight." one whispered to her sisters.

"And love is given to those who are supposedly loveless." a second one whispered.

The third one watched the images closely. "There is still much to be done, Clotho, Lachesis. We cannot slack in our duties just yet. They must come together and the women must help their men see the truth and become a family. Only then may we rest."

The two younger fates shared a look.

"We know this, Sister Atropos. We know this well as we helped plan this when their threads were spun and woven." Lachesis stated.

"And we shall help push them together." Clotho added.

Atropos nodded and turned back to the basin containing the images as her sisters left. "We can only hope the men won't be so stubborn as to refuse what their women offer and lose them." she whispered to the empty room.

*~*~*~*~*~*


	2. Chapter 2: Training Vanessa

Chapter 2: Training Vanessa

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

JiLLiBeanZ: I'm glad you love it and that I can provide what you want. I hope you like this chapter.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Vanessa smiled as she fried up some eggs.

Vincent wasn't up yet, but she planned on going down to the room containing his coffin bed and waking him.

She closed her eyes and laughed at the image on the back of her eyelids. She saw Persephanie.

Sephiroth was helping her become a better swordswoman and fighter.

Vanessa knew that her cousin was good at handling a sword, having a couple scars to prove it. She also knew that when it came to stealth and everything sneaky, Persephanie was pretty much hopeless.

Being blind may have prevented Vanessa from becoming a good swordswoman, but she was an expert at tracking and stealth.

There was a sound that sounded like someone banging on the front door of the Manor.

"I know you're in there, Vinnie! Open the door." A female voice yelled.

Vanessa turned down the heat on the stove and went to the door.

A teenager stood there.

"He's still sleeping, but you're welcome to come in and have breakfast with us." Vanessa stated.

The girl stared at her with an open mouth.

Vanessa shrugged. "All right, suit yourself. More for us then." She went to close the door.

The teen caught it. "Wait, wait, I don't mean to seem rude, but Vinnie's never had any girls in his house before that I haven't met or weren't trying to kill him."

Vanessa opened the door. "Trust me; killing him is the very last thing on my mind. My name's Vanessa by the way, but almost everyone calls me V. Do come in."

The teen entered. "I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie Kisaragi. You can call me Yuffie."

"Pleased to meet you. Won't you join me in the kitchen?" She led the way there.

Yuffie began to talk about almost everything as Vanessa returned to her cooking.

Vanessa took a chance when Yuffie paused to get a breath, small pause that it was. "Could you teach me to use a shuriken and be a ninja? I'm pretty good at stealth, but need help fighting."

Yuffie grinned. "Sure, V. No problem. I, the great Yuffie Kisaragi, will teach you everything I know. I will teach you to be the second greatest ninja in the world, after me of course. You will be respected and feared all over for your skills. No one will be able to match you besides me. And everyone will know that I, the great Yuffie Kisaragi…"

"Shut up, Yuffie. It's too early in the morning for any of your tangents." Vincent stated as he entered the kitchen.

Vanessa shot him a smile and dished out the food she'd cooked.

Vincent just looked at his plate. He'd not eaten much since Cloud had released him, so he really had no idea what to do.

"If you eat more regularly, your appetite will return to you." Vanessa commented before she took a bite of her own food.

Yuffie was happily wolfing down her own food.

Vincent raised an eyebrow at Vanessa.

"Eat." She ate some more of her own food.

Vincent picked up his fork and took a bite of the eggs.

They were really good, so he took another bite.

Vanessa grinned behind her cup of fresh orange juice. She was going to bring this man back to life yet.

Yuffie instantly began a one person conversation once she'd finished eating. "I came here to make sure Vinnie wasn't turning into a hermit and find he's got a girl staying with him. Won't everyone else be surprised when they find out? How long have you been keeping her a secret, Vinnie?"

"It's Vincent." Vanessa and Vincent said at the same time.

Yuffie grinned. "You two must have been a couple for a long time. You spoke in unison." She jumped from the table. "Just make sure he doesn't brood too much. I've gotta go get some stuff so I can start teaching you, V. See both later." She left.

Vincent rolled his eyes.

Vanessa just smiled and shook her head before polishing off the last of her eggs.

"What was Yuffie going on about when I entered?" Vincent asked.

"I asked her to teach me how to use a shuriken and be a ninja. I'm pretty good at stealth and tracking, but I need help to become a good fighter. I was blind once and could not fight. I wish to learn." Vanessa replied, starting to wash up the used dishes.

Vincent mused over her comment as he finished eating. He stood and placed his plate in the sink. "I will help teach you."

Vanessa gave him a smile. "Thank you."

He just nodded in return. He had a feeling that he'd try to fill any request she asked of him.

Vanessa began to hum as she did the dishes and Vincent left the room.

_You're getting to him._ Order told her.

_Good. It's about damn time someone did._ She smirked, the tune she was humming changing to the Moonlight Sonata.

Order just laughed before promising to share all of her knowledge of fighting with Vanessa.

*~*~*~*

Cloud, Tifa, and the others stared at the speaker phone in shock.

"Are you sure Vampy's got a girl?" Cid asked.

"Trust me. She's very real. She makes some killer eggs and made Vincent eat. They've got to be together. They even spoke in unison!" Yuffie's voice stated over the phone.

The others shared a look.

"We'll be there soon. Don't let her go anywhere." Cloud commanded.

"I won't. She wants me to teach her, so I'll keep a close eye on her." Yuffie hung up.

The others scrambled around, trying to get things together so they could leave on Cid's airship.

*~*~*~*

Vincent watched as Vanessa copied the few fighting moves he'd just taught her. "Shift your feet further apart.

Vanessa adjusted her stance and continued. "Like this?"

"Yes. Move to the next form."

Vanessa would have complied had not the door to the ancient ball room been kicked open and the whole of the rest of AVALANCHE spilled into the room.

Order growled in annoyance and Vanessa agreed with her whole-heartedly.

"The brat was right. He's got a girl. You kidnap her, Valentine?" Cid questioned with a grin.

Vanessa's eyes narrowed.

"Jackass." she commented.

Vincent hid a smirk behind the high collar of his cloak.

"Yeah, well, that's me." Cid replied. "Got a fuckin' problem with it?"

Order begged Vanessa to let her handle it.

Vanessa declined the offer unless Order could just share some magic that would turn Cid into a frog for awhile.

_That could be arranged, or a slug._ Order stated.

_Frog will do quite nicely Order, thank you anyway._

Order shrugged. _Your loss._

An orb of power appeared in Vanessa's hand.

"Yes, I do." She threw it at him and smirked evilly when a frog with a cigarette appeared where Cid had been standing.

Chaos laughed uncontrollably.

Even Vincent was amused.

Yuffie looked at Vanessa. "You have got to teach me how to do that."

Vanessa's eyes turned silver.

"Sorry child. It's an immortal power." Order stated through Vanessa's voice.

Yuffie and the rest of AVALANCHE gasped and stared at Vanessa.

"Who are you?" Tifa questioned, hand going for a weapon.

"My name is Order. My host was kind enough to let me speak to you. Worry not; I will not harm any of you. Vanessa will not allow it." Order stated. She bowed to them. "For the moment I bid you goodbye."

Vanessa blinked and her eyes returned to crimson. "Sorry. She was most insistent. My name is Vanessa R. Vanderbuilt, but most people call me V. Vincent was kind enough to let me stay here."

"Are you sure you want to let her stay here, Vinnie?" Yuffie asked.

Vincent nodded. "She has her own demons."

"Did Hojo experiment on you?" Cloud asked Vanessa.

Vanessa started the movements Vincent had taught her once more. "No. Or I don't think so. I come from a faraway place and was once blind, so I couldn't tell you."

"Do you still want me to teach you?" Yuffie questioned.

"Any form of help from anyone who can teach me how to fight would be appreciated. I would be grateful to learn from all of you. Perhaps not Cid though. He annoys Order and she might _accidentally_ kill him." Vanessa quickly moved through the routine and then looked at Vincent once she'd finished.

He nodded in approval.

Cid turned back into his true form and began to swear at Vanessa.

She just rolled her eyes.

Tifa hit him upside the head and told him to shut up.

Cid fell almost silent, just speaking under his breath.

Cloud studied Vanessa. "You don't know how to fight and want to learn. Right?"

Vanessa nodded. "I do know a little about sword fighting, but I'm not very good. My cousin is much better at sword fighting. I was almost defenseless when I was blind, but don't want to be that way anymore."

"We'll teach you anything that you want to know." Cloud told her.

She bowed her head in thanks.

"Well let's go outside. It's a nice day and sunshine makes you healthy." Yuffie stated. She grabbed Vanessa by the arm and dragged her along after her.

The moment they entered the sunlight, Vanessa went blind.

She couldn't see anything.

_Too much light._ Order explained.

Vanessa pulled free and held out her hands. "Yuffie, my eyes are very sensitive. I need sunglasses before I come outside, or I go blind again."

"Sorry. Where are your sunglasses?"

Vanessa smiled, thinking of the sunglasses she always carried due to Persephanie. "In an inside pocket of my cloak. If I get back inside, I can get them."

"Allow me." Vincent stated as he placed Vanessa's cloak around her shoulders.

"Thank you Vincent." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the sunglasses.

They were round like a hippie's glasses and tinted blue.

She slipped them on and could see. "That's better." She did up the buttons and buckles of her cloak.

"You hide behind your cloak just like Vinnie does." Yuffie commented.

"His name is Vincent." Vanessa replied coolly.

Yuffie shrugged. "Whatever. Let's get started on your training." She tossed Vanessa her shuriken.

Vanessa listened to Yuffie's instructions as she explained how to use it. She tried it out on the monster that appeared once they walked into the woods next to the Manor.

Yuffie was pleased that Vanessa was progressing so quickly, having killed two monsters and collected the stuff they'd dropped. "Now to teach you stealth."

Barret and Cid snorted when Yuffie tried.

Yuffie ignored them and challenged Vanessa to try sneaking up on the group to steal materia from their pockets, after having explained how to steal.

Vanessa smirked as she walked off into the woods. She was going to show them her skills.

No one knew where she disappeared off to, or which way that she was going to come from.

They all looked around.

Vincent was busy arguing with Chaos about if something had happened to Vanessa or not, so he almost missed the soft sound of the swish of cloth. He looked around and saw the flash of red cloth.

Reeve was the first to notice his materia was missing.

Everyone else checked their stashes and found them gone, even Yuffie's hidden stash.

"You know, that was like taking candy from a baby. You really should keep better track of your things." Vanessa stated as she sat on a tree branch, contact juggling with Vincent's Knights of the Round Table summon.

Everyone stared at her with an open mouth.

"_How _did _you_ do _**that**_?" Yuffie questioned.

Vanessa smirked. "I've always been good at stealth and taking things from people's pockets. Of course my cousin used to be my eyes, but no one ever suspected 'the blind girl' of taking anything." She stood and disappeared.

Everyone looked around until they saw her on the path back towards the Manor.

"And if you want these back, you're all going to have to catch me. Later." She was gone again in a blink of an eye.

Vincent couldn't help but chuckle.

Everyone stared at him in shock and he had to laugh.

Vanessa smiled softly from her hiding spot behind a clump of trees nearby. She was waking him up slowly but surely.

*~*~*~*

Several days had passed since that day, and Vanessa had returned all the materia to its rightful owners.

She'd had several lessons every day from all of AVALANCHE and was enjoying herself immensely. She especially enjoyed the lessons she had with Vincent over firing guns like his and a few martial art forms that Tifa didn't know.

Vincent stood on the large porch of the Manor and watched as Vanessa fought against Cloud in one of her sword fighting lessons. He had to admit she was a very quick study, having progressed far enough in six days to make Cloud have to work for a victory.

Without warning, a helicopter landed in a clear spot in the yard.

Rufus Shinra, Rude, and Reno got out, as well as some of Rufus's bodyguards.

Reno was giving Vanessa a _long_ look-over. "Well, heeeeeeello beautiful. Where have you been all my life? It must have hurt when you fell from heaven. I can fix that though."

Chaos growled in warning from inside Vincent.

Vanessa just rolled her eyes.

Reno walked over to her while Cloud went over to see what Rufus wanted.

Vincent watched Reno closely.

Vanessa gave him a bored look. "May I help you with anything?"

Reno grinned. "Do the gods know you're missing, or did they send you to find someone in particular?"

"Sorry, you're not it. That's one cheesy pickup line, so go back to charm school." Vanessa replied.

Reno wasn't put off. "Awww, come one baby, I'm only trying to make your acquaintance."

Vanessa gave him a glare over her sunglasses, very aware that she couldn't see him. "Go suck an egg." She turned to walk off.

Reno slung an arm around her waist. "Where you off to in such a hurry? I didn't even get a chance to introduce myself."

Vanessa gave him a disgusted look. "Go to hell jackass."

Vincent spoke up. "She said to leave her alone, Reno."

Reno glanced at him. "Well if it isn't Valentine. Don't tell me, you see the goddess she is too?" He looked back at Vanessa. "Why don't you and I got see a movie some time?"

"Fuck off." Vanessa spat.

"Only with you baby, only with you." Reno returned.

His comment enraged both Vincent and Chaos, enough that Chaos broke through the tight hold Vincent had on him.

Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare as Vincent became Chaos.

Chaos flew at Reno, planning on ripping the man to shreds.

Reno dodged him and tried to out run him.

Vanessa knew he couldn't do it. _He's your mate, do something. I know the bastard deserves it, but I fight my own battles. And if he does kill him, he'll just move on to every other male here. I'd rather learn all I can from Cloud and company before they die a horrible death._ She told Order.

The others were about to help Reno try to fend off Chaos when a ball of energy, much like the one Vanessa had used to turn Cid into a frog hit Chaos in the back.

He whirled around to see who his new enemy was. He was frozen by shock, as was everyone else.

Where Chaos was dark, Order was light. Instead of grayish black skin, Order was pale as moonlight, all silvery tinted. Her eyes glowed metallic silver instead of an amber gold color. Her wings weren't torn like Chaos's wings were and had a mother-of-pearl shine on the insides. She wore dark green clothes, loose pants and a toga like shirt. Her headdress was just like Chaos's, only it was green as well and the metal shoes she wore were identical to those Chaos wore, except they were gold.

"Really Chaos, did you think that my host was unable to protect herself? She was about to lay him flat, if only you had given her a moment. She fights her own battles." Order taunted.

Chaos growled. "He shouldn't have touched."

Order raised an eyebrow coolly. "He's mortal. You know how mortal men are, Chaos, absolutely no control. They're like cats and thieves, they see something nice that attracts them and they want it." She landed softly and folded her wings. "And really, if anyone should pull him apart, it should be me. It was _my_ host he offended after all."

Chaos couldn't argue with that and was left to ponder what to do. He very well couldn't attack his mate, nor could he face her displeasure for killing the man and all the others who posed a threat.

His moment of indecision allowed Vincent to take back control.

Order watched amused as Chaos turned back into Vincent. "Really, males have no idea what we females are capable of. We aren't _all_ wilting flowers. Some of us are actually quite deadly. It's a wonder that we put up with you at all."

Reno stared at her in shock.

She was in front of him before anyone could blink. She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and lifted him from the ground. "Don't ever touch my host without her permission again, or I will rip you to shreds." She smiled evilly, running her tongue over her sharp eye teeth. She dropped Reno.

He stood up and scrambled back from her, holes in his shirt from her long nails.

Order inclined her head to Cloud and company before slowly turning back into Vanessa.

Vanessa looked at Reno.

He looked scared.

She turned around and went back for the sword she'd dropped. She turned to walk into the house and walked by Reno.

Before anyone could react, she'd punched him in the stomach and swept his feet from under him.

"Don't _ever_ touch me again, or Order will be the least of your problems." she stated simply before stabbing the sword into the ground right by Reno's face. She entered the Manor and disappeared from sight.

Rude gave a low whistle. "She's dangerous."

Vincent stood up. "Very." He followed Vanessa into the Manor.

*~*~*~*

Vanessa stood on the roof and stared at the stars.

_V…_ a voice she knew well whispered in her mind.

_Allo Seph. How's your training and man?_

_Let's just say that the next time we see each other, I am going to fall down and worship at your feet._

Vanessa smiled. _Just give me little cousins once you're married and help me destroy Jenova by handing over her head. If she's destroyed, they'll all be free._

_You got it, V. Love ya._

_I love you too, my sister. See you when I see you._

_Right._

"What are you doing up here this late?" Vincent's voice asked from behind Vanessa.

"Watching the stars. You are one of the only people who understand the significance of the little things. I've been without the stars for so long, and now I have them. They're beautiful." she replied.

Vincent came to a stop next to her and looked up at the stars. "At one point, I thought I would never see them again."

"And then Cloud and company came."

"Yes. They took my breath away that first night."

Vanessa closed her eyes and smiled in the light of the half moon. "I've never had them, not once. But every night since I got here, I've come up here and watched them."

Vincent looked at her. "The roof is not safe."

She looked at him. "Neither is the rest of the house or the world. We'll have to fix up the Manor, turn it from a place of tears and horror to a place of laughter and joy."

He turned back to the stars. "It cannot be done."

She slipped her hand into his human one, looking back up at the stars. "Yes, yes it can. All that's needed is a little elbow grease and lots of TLC."

He looked down at her. "TLC?"

She grinned, eyes fixed on the sky. "Tender love and care. And trust me, there's enough in that camp down there to get half of what needs done, done."

"And the other half?"

"I've been told many times that I'm overflowing with it, something that seems a little odd for someone with my lot in life. Between all your friends and me, we'll get this place fixed up and you much less broody and melancholy. That's what people who care do."

He closed his eyes with a sigh. "I'm a monster. I do not deserve happiness."

A soft hand touched his cheek.

"You are no more a monster than I am, Vincent. Perhaps we have demons residing within us, but we are who we are and nothing more or less. Our demons as everyone calls them do care for us. Yes, we may be the means to some of their ends, but we are very important to them. Without us, they would be nothing. Now come inside. It becomes chilly and neither of us needs to catch a cold." Vanessa tugged on his hand as she started to head back inside.

Vincent followed her, having little choice. He just watched her as she led him to his room.

She grinned at him. "Get some sleep, and don't go to that damn coffin of yours. I'll see you in the morning." She walked off towards her own room.

Vincent closed his door, got ready for bed, and slipped between the sheets. He was totally perplexed by the girl.

Vanessa entered her room, closed her door, and leaned against it. _Order?_ she questioned timidly.

_Speak, dear child. What has your emotions in a swirl?_

_I want to break through to him. I think I may be thawing his heart a little. What do I do to get closer?_

_Dream with him child, dream with him. Chaos and I shall help._

_Thank you._

The starlight was banished when Vanessa closed the heavy curtains over the window.

She dressed for bed in a black t-shirt and black pajama pants and got into bed. She fell asleep quickly.

*~*~*~*

Cloud and the rest of AVALANCHE yawned tiredly.

Training Vanessa, though fun, was very tiring.

She was a quick learner and always far outdid anything they expected from her.

"Yo, she'd make a good match for ol' Vamp." Barret commented.

"Of course she would. Have you seen how Vinnie watches her? And what about the whole 'Reno vs. Chaos and gets threatened by Order and V' thing this morning? He totally digs her." Yuffie stated.

"Perhaps we should help her fix up the Manor like she asked. We could ensure that she and Vincent spend a lot of time together." Nanaki suggested.

Cloud looked up at the now dark windows. "Let's just finish training Vanessa while trying not piss off Chaos before we think of even trying to set the two of them up."

Tifa nodded. "Cloud's right. Now it's time we all went off to bed."

Everyone trudged off to their tents.

*~*~*~*~*~*


	3. Chapter 3: First Steps Are Taken

Chapter 3: First Steps Are Taken

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

JiLLiBeanZ: I'm updating, I'm updating. It might be a little bit before my next update. I'm going home from college on Saturday, and I live out in the boonies, which means: NO WIRELESS INTERNET!!! *Sobs* But don't worry, I'll work on it and do a mass update unless I decide to drive to my aunt's house to upload stuff. Just stay with me.

*~*~*~*~*~*

_The dreamscape was dark and Vincent expected Chaos and the others to jump out at any moment._

_"They won't come you know. They're busy meeting with their mates." Vanessa stated as she appeared at his side._

_"How?" Vincent asked, looking at her._

_"Order and Chaos. It seems they share a power that allows them to share dreams."_

_Vincent said nothing._

_Vanessa looked around at the darkness. "There's a song I like by a band called Atreyu. There are two lines in it that speak to me every time I hear it. There are a couple lines in between them, but they do fit."_

_"…" was Vincent's reply._

_Vanessa smiled at him as she moved to stand before him. She took both of his hands, ignoring his attempts to take the gauntleted one back. "The first line is 'the darkest reaches of my soul are riddled with self doubt'. You have that same problem. We both constantly ask ourselves if we can do it or are we going to fail miserably."_

_"The second?"_

_"'It's only as dark as you make it.' Our lives are only as bad as we believe them to be. We have to think positively and hope for the best."_

_"What is there to hope for?"_

_She reached up a hand and put it against his cheek. "There's always love, Vincent. Love is a great and powerful thing. I know you've been hurt before, but not all love is painful. Yes, there will be moments when you'd think that you would be better off without it, but you won't be. Open your heart, Vincent, that's the only way you'll be happy. Love is a partnership. You have to give some to get some. It's not always a fifty-fifty percent effort. There'll be times when you have to give a little more than the other or do most of the giving, but it pays off in ways you can't imagine."_

_Vincent raised his now free hand and covered hers. "Who do I let in?"_

_"Whoever you want to." She rose on her tiptoes and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. She pulled back and grinned. "You get to choose. And just to let you know, there's plenty of people out there ready and willing to let you in. And I'm one of them. My cousin would say that I've already let you in, but I think that people get in at the same time, never one before the other."_

_He smiled at her. "Thank you."_

_"It's what people do for those they care about."_

*~*~*~*

Vincent thought about the dream he'd had the night before as he stood in the doorway and watched Vanessa cook.

She caught his eye when she turned around to get something and smiled. "Everything I said was true."

He looked at her in shock. "It was real?"

She nodded. "Every single bit." She turned back to the stove and began to hum as she cooked.

Other members of AVALANCHE made their way into the kitchen as the smells of the food Vanessa was cooking spread to the outside.

Vincent watched Vanessa all through breakfast as she talked with some of the others. He started when Cloud addressed him.

Cloud smiled. "We've decided to help fix this place up. If you and Vanessa are going to live here, then it needs to be fixed. That all right with you?'

Vincent nodded. He let his eyes drift back to Vanessa. "She mentioned trying to fix up the Manor last night."

Cloud watched Vanessa as she talked with Denzel and Marlene. "She's a good person, Vincent. Give her a chance to help you."

Vanessa met Vincent's gaze and smiled. She turned back to Denzel and Marlene when Marlene said something that made her laugh.

Vincent looked back at Cloud. "I think she's already started."

Cloud shrugged and went back to eating.

Everyone gathered in the living room of the Manor once breakfast was done and dishes were washed.

Vanessa perched herself on the back of a broken down armchair. "So, what's going on?"

Cloud spoke up. "We've decided to help fix up Shinra Manor so you and Vincent have a safe place to stay."

Vanessa clasped her hands together. "That's wonderful! Now to just figure out where to start." She thought about it for a moment. "Why don't we start at the bottom and work our way up? We can purge the basement of monsters, take inventory of things we have and things that we need and need fixed, and then go up by floors."

Vincent nodded in agreement.

Vanessa grinned and took off running.

The others shared amused looks and followed after her.

*~*~*~*

It took two weeks to completely rid the Manor of monsters and make lists of what was there and what needed to be repaired because the group had to find all the nests the monsters had and get rid of them.

Cloud had decided that it would go faster if they split into teams. He went with Tifa and Denzel while Cid, Barret, and Cait Sith were a group.

Reeve, Yuffie, Marlene, and Nanaki were the other team, which meant that Vanessa and Vincent were a team.

Tifa had suggested that they clear room by room and clean the room once they were done getting rid of the monsters in the room, taking care to lock the room up once they were done.

Yuffie, Cid, Barret, and Cait Sith all complained about that, but they did it anyway.

It was during one of these purging/cleaning sessions that Marlene screamed.

Vanessa and Vincent had been working in the formal dining room, cleaning it after they'd finished destroying all the nests there. Vanessa had been listening to her MP3 player as they worked and instantly dropped the cleaning cloth she was using on the table to run to Marlene's aid.

The girl had gone out into the hallway on the second floor to get a breath of fresh air since the room she, Yuffie, Reeve, and Nanaki were in was covered in dust.

A monster had appeared and started to drag the girl off.

The others came running at her scream, but Vanessa was the fastest and jumped onto the monster's back with a growl.

She quickly freed Marlene and handed her over to Tifa before going back to battling the monster.

The Behemoth became enraged and tried to squash Vanessa with a large paw.

Vanessa laughed gleefully as she dodged its attack and landed one of her own.

That only made the Behemoth angrier, which led to it making a fatal mistake.

Vanessa stood there as it faded away, covered in dust and monster blood, smiling proudly. She turned to Marlene. "Are you all right, Marlene?"

Marlene ran over to her and hugged her. "I'm fine. Thank you, Vanessa."

Vanessa pulled away slightly and smiled. "I think you and I need to get cleaned up. We're covered in monster guts and goo."

Marlene wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, we are."

Vanessa took her by the hand. "Well, off we go." She paused and looked down at Marlene. "Then again, we aren't done for the day and will probably only get dirty again. What do you say to you and me sticking together since we're covered in the same stuff?"

Marlene grinned up at her. "Let's do it!"

Vanessa laughed and led Marlene into another room to begin cleaning.

Nanaki walked over to Vincent. "I shall help you finish up the dining room."

Vincent nodded.

Once the monsters were gone, repairs began.

The men started with the roof, getting help from the people of Nibelheim.

The outside of the Manor was easy to fix with the help of the townsfolk. They were grateful to Vincent and the others for saving them and were happy to help. One of masons even put in a huge stained glass window at the top of the stairs on the second floor that had a lot of crimson and the shape of the Cerberus charm to represent Vincent. They had even put in a full moon to represent Vanessa. (They had been unsure about putting the Cerberus symbol there until Vanessa had pointed out that Cerberus had been a guardian to the gates of the afterlife and Vincent was a guardian of the Planet. That led them to put stained glass at the top of her bedroom windows with Cerberus and roses.)

AVALANCHE was regulated to only helping when the townspeople needed help on the inside since they were doing everything they could to try and repay Vincent for what he'd done.

It was one of those days when shrieks of laughter filtered down from the attic while everyone but Yuffie, Vanessa, and Marlene were helping hang some drywall in the kitchen and living room.

Vincent looked up from the piece of drywall he and Cloud were holding in place.

The final screw that was needed for them to be able to let go of it was screwed into place and they both went to the doorway to look up at the second floor.

Marlene and Vanessa came running down the hallway, both laughing as Vanessa carried something.

Yuffie stuck her head out of the dining room where she was helping repaint the walls with their second and final coat of paint.

Both Vanessa and Marlene were streaked with dust and had cobwebs in their hair.

Vincent stepped out into the foyer. "What's going on?"

Vanessa leaned over the new railing and grinned. "Just wait 'til dinner, then you'll know." She continued on, Marlene shadowing her.

They ducked into Vanessa's room and locked the door after them.

Vincent rolled his eyes and went back to helping.

*~*~*~*

Vanessa tugged on the dress she wore to get it to fit properly.

Marlene giggled as she stood next to Vanessa, dressed in a dress of her own that fell to her knees. "Uncle Vincent won't have anything to say when he sees you in that."

Vanessa shook the mass of ringlets back from her face and added the finishing touches to her make-up. "You think so? Making Vincent Valentine speechless is a hard thing to do."

Marlene took Vanessa's hand and pulled her along after her towards the door. "Not for you."

Vanessa smiled as she was forced to follow Marlene to the formal dining room.

The next couple days would be the last needed to finally fix up the Manor and Tifa and the women of Nibelheim had made a huge dinner for everyone in thanks.

Marlene poked her head into the room. "Everybody here?"

"Come on in Marlene. Dinner's on the table." Cloud stated.

Marlene came skipping into the room in her dress, reminding Vanessa of Alice in Wonderland.

Tifa smiled. "Where did you get that dress? It's very pretty."

Marlene giggled. "Vanessa and I found it in a large trunk while we were cleaning the attic. There's a room full of trunks and wardrobes filled with clothes." She turned towards the door. "Come in, Vanessa."

Vanessa straightened her shoulders and entered the room.

Vincent's mind went blank and his crimson eyes widened.

Vanessa's dress was as crimson as freshly spilt blood on snow and hugged her curves. It was made of crush velvet and was off the shoulders, showing her collarbones and hinting at her cleavage. Her black hair framed her face as tight ringlets, though some was pulled back and held in place by a ruby studded silver barrette. She wore very little make-up, just eye liner, a little gold eye shadow, and some lip gloss.

Barret gave a low whistle as she walked over to her seat at Vincent's left (Vincent sitting at the head of the table).

Vincent had stood the moment she'd walked into the room, an engrained habit from his childhood. He pulled out her seat for her and pushed her in, shooting a glare at Barret. He took his seat once more.

Vanessa smiled at him as she placed her napkin in her lap.

Marlene giggled from her seat next to Barret.

Vanessa turned pink slightly as she asked her neighbor for the bowl of garlic and parmesan baby red potatoes.

Conversation rose up around the table as people began to eat.

"You look wonderful tonight." Vincent told Vanessa in a low tone.

She smiled shyly at him. "Thank you. I've always loved things made of velvet and silk and that I can actually see what I look like in a dress like this, it makes it better."

Vincent swallowed the bite he had taken. "It seems like the dress was made to fit you."

She laughed softly. "Well, that's good. I would have hated to be forced to make any adjustments to it." She turned to her neighbor and began a conversation.

After dinner, Vanessa helped clean up the table.

Vincent cleared his throat behind her and waited until she turned to face him.

"Yes, Vincent?" she questioned, scarlet eyes fixed on his.

Vincent swallowed. "Since there is very little that has to be done yet and you have not had the chance to explore the surrounding area, I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me tomorrow as I check the borders of the Manor's lands. It might be useful for you to know the lay of the land."

She smiled at him. "I would love to join you, Vincent. What time should I get up?"

"We'll be leaving after breakfast, so you can sleep until your normal time. Until tomorrow." He bowed politely over her hand and kissed the back of it. He left the room.

Marlene grinned at her as Vanessa stared after Vincent. "See? I told you he likes you."

Vanessa swept Marlene up and spun her around with a happy laugh full of glee. She had just basically been asked on a date by Vincent Valentine.

*~*~*~*

Vanessa was up long before dawn the next morning. She stood on the new roof and watched the sun rise.

A vision of Persephanie rose up behind her closed eyelids.

Persephanie was stretched out on a bed, or she would have been if she wasn't being tightly held close to a man with long silver hair.

_Seph, the moment of our meeting is getting closer. It's almost upon us,_ she thought to her cousin.

Persephanie stirred and her brown eyes blinked open. _Give me a couple more days, V. I'm almost to the point that I can request being able to carry her head._

_You'll have those couple more days, Seph, but no more than three. I'll get rid of the two or three pieces around here, but you _must_ have the head when we meet again._

_I'll have it, even if I have to steal it from him. Love ya, V._

Vanessa smiled and opened her eyes. _And I love you too my sister._ Vanessa walked down the stairs to the kitchen.

Vincent showed up soon after she began cooking for everyone. "You're up earlier than usual."

"I'm anxious to see the lands around the Manor." Vanessa replied.

Vincent nodded and took a seat at the kitchen table.

Tifa came in five minutes later. She took the spatula from Vanessa. "I'm sure you're ready to get out of this house. I'll handle the cooking."

Vanessa smiled at her. "Thank you, Tifa." She put some already cooked French toast on a plate for her and a plate for Vincent.

He refrained from rolling his eyes when she put it before him, but ate it all the same.

Vanessa ate as she checked her weapons. She'd been given some daggers by Cloud one day after he'd been in the village.

They had scarlet hilts with what looked like a rose vine wrapped around them to the hand guard where a silver rose was etched into the red metal.

She also had a more feminine version of Cerberus given to her by Vincent.

It was just a bit smaller than Cerberus with a slimmer tri-barrel. There was even a charm hanging from the Grip.

Vincent had requested it to be specially made by the best metal-worker in the Nibelheim. He had no idea why he'd requested a blood red rose with a very small Cerberus charm placed at the middle, but something told him that it was the only charm that did Vanessa any justice.

She put it back in her holster, took her last bite, and checked her cloak's pockets for what little materia she owned (having found it lying about the Manor while cleaning), useful items, and ammunition.

Vincent wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood. "Vanessa."

Tifa grabbed their plates before Vanessa could grab them. "Go. I'll take care of this."

Vanessa gave her a smile and followed Vincent from the Manor.

At lunchtime, they were in the foothills of the Mt. Nibel.

Vanessa had already eaten her lunch and was poking around where they sat while Vincent ate. She turned to him. "I'm going to go up the path a little ways. I'll be back in a few minutes."

He went to put away his lunch. "I'll come with you."

She shook her head. "No, no. I'll be fine. I just want to look at stuff and see if I can't find an herb that likes to grow along mountain paths. I'll be back in ten minutes tops." She really just wanted to go alone so she could slip off to the cave that was nearby. She had a feeling a Jenova piece was there.

Vincent nodded. "Very well. Yell for me if you need anything."

She nodded and set off at a brisk walk. She began to run once she was safely out of sight and earshot.

The large opening of the cave loomed above her after she squeezed her way past the natural rock wall before it. The sound of dripping water was misleadingly calming.

Order lent Vanessa her ability to see in the dark.

Something moved near the back of the cave where it twisted to go farther into the mountain.

Vanessa stalked it until she came to a large cavern.

At the center of it was a tentacle-like appendage Vanessa knew was one of Jenova's arms.

It rose up like a snake and focused on Vanessa.

She smirked at it. "You know why I'm here and you know what I'm going to do. You think you can win, but I will not let you. They will be free once you're completely gone, and I will not allow my family to suffer because of you. Even that bit of you that's been disguised as his old love and placed 'safely' within a Mako crystal in the cave behind the waterfall will be destroyed."

It reared back and then attacked Vanessa.

She moved to the side and plunged a red hot dagger she's heated with magic into it.

It writhed violently and tried to attack from a different angle.

Vanessa plunged another dagger, this one ice cold, into it.

The battle continued for ten minutes with Vanessa alternating her attacks with fire and ice until the arm was weakened.

Vanessa's eyes turned completely silver and her eyeteeth lengthened.

Order laughed darkly over her and Vanessa's enemy. "You won't win, Jenova. Vanessa has too strong a will to let you." She made an orb of crackling power appear over Vanessa's palm. "Goodbye, Jenova. Enjoy Oblivion."

The arm was lit for a moment after the orb hit it. It froze and then burst into dust.

Order watched impassively as the dust settled to the ground. She turned on Vanessa's heel and strode towards the entrance of the cave.

Vanessa took back over once they were back in the sunshine. She smiled as she heard Vincent calling for her. "We're finally taking our first steps towards becoming the family we should be." She hummed happily as she slipped out from behind the rock wall and went to join Vincent.

*~*~*~*~*~*


End file.
